Crutch-head cap



H. M. HIGGINS CRUTCH HEAD CAP May 2, 1933.

Filed Jan. 7, 1933 INVENTOR HORACE. M. HIGGIN ATTORNEY Patented May 2, 1933.

UNIT D STATES- lseazee HORACE mfi-ireemsor oMArra-nnnnAsKA GRUTCH-HEAIJ cAr Application {1166. January 7, 1933. Serial No. 650,676.

My invention relates to crutches, and particularly to means for covering the head or arm-rest of a crutch. Persons who are obliged to use crutches for a considerable time, find that it is undesirable to support the weight of their bodies upon the head or portion of the crutch which extends beneath the arm-pit, and that the crutch may be used with much greater comfort and facility when the greater part, if not all of the weight of the user is supported through the arms and hands, upon the grip or hand-piece of the crutch. It is found also, by users of crutches for an extensive period, that it is undesirable to provide upon a crutch-head any soft cushion or covering of such thickness as to have a cushioning effect, as the use of a cushion of any a preciable depth causes pressure upon the b ood-vessels which traverse the 29 arm-pit, thus restricting the blood circulation through the arm, and causing numbness or other discomfort to the user. When crutches are used with the weight of the body carried either upon the crutch-heads at the arm-pits, or upon the hands at the grips of the crutches, there is caused a relative move-.

ment between the crutch-heads and the clothing of the user, beneath the arms, so that the clothing rapidly becomes worn by the rub- 30 bing of the crutch-heads thereon. It is the object of my invention to provide means for preventing such wear of the clothing, and to prevent also any pulling upon the clothing, tending to distort or wrinkle the same, by the movements of the crutch-head relative to the body and arm of the user. A further object of my invention is to provide an article for the purposes indicated, which may be produced at a nominal cost, quickly and inexpensively replaced when WOI'II out, readily cleansed when it becomes soiled, and which will not be clumsy or unsightly in appearance.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side View of a crutch provided with a cap or head-cover embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention. the cap or cover for the crutch-head is made of pliable material, such as fabric or soft leather, of; which tliethicknessis insufiicient toafi'ord. any appreciable cushioning effect by being interposed between the crutch-head andthe body of the user. The protective cap'o't pliable material comprises opposite approximately parallel side portions 3 and 4 Which are joined together at theends-5 and 6 and at .the topx7, to cover and inclose the top and ends ofthe upper cross-piece or armrest 8 of the; crutch. The top portion 7 of the cap is curved concavely from end to end,

to fit approximately the concave of the ar1n-, rest 8, the length of the cap is greater than thatof the armrr-est so as tonormally eX-' 651 tend beyond the same at both ends, and the upper corners of the cap. are rounded to conformity with the ends of the arm-rest, sub& stantially as shownj The ends 5 and 6 of the cap are oblique andconverge toward the lower or open edges of theside portions 3 and 4, so that at said openbottom edge said" ends of the cap are normally spacedfrom the upright'si-de-pieces v9 of the crutch,,about the same distance that the upper portions of the ends are spaced from theyends of the. arm-rest. To prevent displacement of the cap from the crutch-head, means areprovided for connecting the side portions 3and.

4 under the arm-rest 8, between the side--.

pieces 9 of the crutch, said connecting means" compris ing,' in the structure shown in the drawing, a separable snap-fastener .10 of the ordinary type usedjon gloves, one of thesep-i arable parts of the fastener being afiixed tov each-of said side portions of the cap. The depth or vertical dimension of the cap is such as to allow the same .to fit loosely about the arm-rest when the side portions'are drawn together beneath the arm-rest to connect the fastener-members-to each other.

The oblique convergent formation ofthe' ends ofthe cap, whereby said ends normally" extend in beneath the ends of the'arm-rest, serves to prevent the ends of the: cap being. lifted off the arm-rest accidentally by'the user when swinging the crutch-heads in bet neath his arms preparatory to use-thereof. The cap as a whole-is so shaped andproporm t oned that, when the fastener-members 1 are disconnected and the cap is moved longitudinally toward one end of the arm-rest, the projecting end of the cap may be lifted off over said end of the arm-rest, and the cap then completely removed by sliding it longitudinally toward the other end of the arm-rest. r

In the use of a crutch provided with a cap or cover in accordance with my invention, the cap tends to cling to the clothing of the user, so as not to move relative to the clothing, while the necessary movements of, the crutch-head are made within the cap, which thereby receives all of the wear resulting from the movement. The described mode of operation resultsfrom the fact that the head or arm-rest of the crutch, being hard and smooth, has a lower coefficient of friction with the material in the cap than the latter has with the clothing of the user, and the cap is made enough longer than the arm-rest to enable the necessary movements of the crutch without causing movements of the cap.

The form of the cap, and the means'employed for retaining the same upon the crutch-head, prevent accidental loss or displacement of the cap, while permitting free movement of the crutch to the extent neces sary in the use thereof, andpreventing pull-'- ing upon the clothing, or wrinkling or wear of the same. The cap may be readily removed for cleansing or replacement, and the material used in the cap may if desired heof atexture and color such as to harmonize with the clothing of the user.

/ Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: V

1. A crutch-head cap, comprising a cover of relatively thin pliable material, closed at the top and ends and open at the lower side thereof, and adapted to fit loosely about the arm-rest of a crutch so that the latter is freely movable longitudinally therein, and means for retaining said coverin place upon the crutch-head y 2. A crutch-head cap, comprising a cover of relatively thin, and pliable material, having closed top and ends and substantially parallel side portions, the closed top and ends of said cover conforming generally with the respective contours 'of the arm-rest of a crutch, the length of the cover being greater than the length of the arm-rest whereby the cover is. adapted tofitlooselyover the armrest and enable relative longitudinal movements of said parts, the lower side of thecov'er having an opening through which the arm-rest may be inserted for inclosur'e by the cover and means forconnecting theside portions of the cover beneath the arm-rest.

3. A crutch-head cap, comprising a cover of relatively thin and'pliablematerial hav 6 mg closed top and end portions conforming g n a y with the d t tiveen mes of 1 and separableconnecting means for securing together the side portions of the cover beneath the arm-rest.

HORAQE M. HIGGINS. 

